U.S. patent application number 09/901067 was filed with the patent office on 2002-01-10 for construction for automatically milking animals.
Invention is credited to Berg, Karel van den, Fransen, Renatus Ignatius Josephus, Lely, Alexander van der.
Application Number | 20020002953 09/901067 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 19771707 |
Filed Date | 2002-01-10 |
United States Patent
Application |
20020002953 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Lely, Alexander van der ; et
al. |
January 10, 2002 |
Construction for automatically milking animals
Abstract
A construction for automatically milking animals comprises a
milk box (1) with a milking robot (2), which is provided with a
controllable robot arm (3) for connecting teat cups (4) to the
teats of an animal (5) to be milked. The robot arm (3) is suspended
from a ball joint (7), so that control of the robot arm (3) is
relatively simple and yet reliable and accurate.
Inventors: |
Lely, Alexander van der;
(Rotterdam, NL) ; Berg, Karel van den;
(Bleskensgraaf, NL) ; Fransen, Renatus Ignatius
Josephus; (Vlaardingen, NL) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Penrose Lucas Albright, Esq.
MASON, MASON & ALBRIGHT
P.O. Box 2246
Arlington
VA
22202-0246
US
|
Family ID: |
19771707 |
Appl. No.: |
09/901067 |
Filed: |
July 10, 2001 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
119/14.01 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A01J 5/0175
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
119/14.01 |
International
Class: |
A01J 003/00; A01J
005/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jul 10, 2000 |
NL |
1015670 |
Claims
1. A construction for automatically milking animals, said
construction comprising a milk box (1) with a milking robot (2),
which is provided with a controllable robot arm (3) for connecting
teat cups (4) to the teats of an animal (5) to be milked,
characterized in that the robot arm (3) is suspended from a ball
joint (7).
2. A construction as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the
robot arm (3) and/or the ball joint (7) connected therewith are/is
controllable by means of at least one control element (9).
3. A construction as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that
a part of the robot arm (3) and/or the ball joint (7) connected
therewith are/is connected with two control cylinders (9) in such a
manner that said part of the robot arm (3) is movable substantially
in two directions.
4. A construction as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3,
characterized in that the ball joint (7) is shiftably fastened to
the milk box (1).
5. A construction as claimed in claim 3 or 4, characterized in that
a further part of the robot arm (3) is provided with a carrier
element (10) for the teat cups (4), at least the carrier element
(10) being movable with the aid of further control means (11)
substantially in one direction relative to the part that is
connected with the ball joint (7).
6. A construction as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that the
further control means comprise a parallelogram construction
(11).
7. A construction as claimed in claim 5 or 6, characterized in that
the further control means comprise a telescope construction.
8. A construction as claimed in any one of claims 5 to 7,
characterized in that the further control means comprise a cylinder
construction.
9. A construction as claimed in any one of claims 5 to 8,
characterized in that the further control means comprise a
hingeable construction.
10. A construction as claimed in any one of claims 5 to 9,
characterized in that the further part of the robot arm (3) with
the teat cups (4) is provided with an air-cushion construction (13)
and is suitable for being moved in a floating manner over the floor
of the milk box (1).
11. A construction for automatically milking animals, said
construction comprising a milk box (15) with a milking robot (16),
which is provided with a controllable robot arm (17) for connecting
teat cups (18) to the teats of an animal to be milked,
characterized in that the robot arm (17) is suspended from a
suspension element (20) that is movable along a rail construction
(19), said rail construction (19) being at least partially
pivotably connected with the milk box (15).
12. A construction as claimed in claim 11, characterized in that
the rail construction (19) comprises a first rail (21), which is
fixedly fastened to the milk box (15), and a second rail (22)
extending parallel to the first rail (21), said second rail (22)
being pivotable by means of a control element (23) that is
connected with the milk box (15).
13. A construction as claimed in any one of claims 11 and 12,
characterized in that the construction is suitable for moving the
teat cups (18) to under the animal to be milked or away from said
animal by means of the pivoting movement of the rail construction
(19).
14. A construction for automatically milking animals, said
construction comprising a milk box (24) with a milking robot (25),
which is provided with a controllable robot arm (26) for connecting
teat cups (27) to the teats of an animal to be milked,
characterized in that the robot arm (26) is suspended rotatably
about a substantially vertical axis (28).
15. A construction as claimed in claim 14, characterized in that
the robot arm (26) is suitable for moving the teat cups (27) to
under the animal to be milked or away therefrom by means of the
rotation about the substantially vertical axis (28).
Description
[0001] The invention relates to a construction for automatically
milking animals according to the preamble of claim 1.
[0002] Such a construction is known. With the known constructions
the controllable robot arm is often pivotably suspended about an
axis. This has inter alia the disadvantage that for realizing the
necessary three-dimensional movements there is required a complex
control for the robot arm.
[0003] The invention aims at improving such a construction.
According to the invention this is achieved by the measures
described in the characterizing part of claim 1. By means of the
suspension from the ball joint the control of the robot arm is
relatively simple and yet reliable and accurate.
[0004] The invention will now be explained in further detail with
reference to the accompanying figures.
[0005] FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of a construction according
to the invention;
[0006] FIG. 2 is a schematic view of a part of the construction
according to the arrows II in FIG. 1;
[0007] FIG. 3 is a schematic view of a part of the construction
according to the arrow III in FIG. 2;
[0008] FIG. 4 is a schematic view of a part of the construction in
a further embodiment;
[0009] FIG. 5 is a schematic view of a part of the construction in
a still further embodiment;
[0010] FIG. 6 is a schematic view of a part of the construction in
another further embodiment;
[0011] FIG. 7 is a schematic view of a part of the construction
according to the arrow VII in FIG. 6;
[0012] FIG. 8 is a schematic cross-section of a part of the
construction according to the arrow VIII in FIG. 7;
[0013] FIG. 9 is a schematic side view of a part of a further
construction;
[0014] FIG. 10 is a schematic view of a part of the construction
according to the arrow X in FIG. 9, and
[0015] FIG. 11 is a schematic view of a part of a further
construction.
[0016] FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of a construction according
to the invention. The construction for automatically milking
animals comprises a milk box 1 with a milking robot 2, known per
se, which is provided with a controllable robot arm 3 for
connecting teat cups 4 to the teats of an animal 5 to be milked
(indicated by a dotted line). During automatic milking the animal 5
can eat and/or drink from a feeding trough 6. The robot arm 3 is
suspended from a ball joint 7 which is controllable by means of two
control elements, such as e.g. cylinders 9, via an intermediate
element 8 connected therewith. The long, substantially vertical
part of the robot arm 3 is movable in two directions by means of
the two control cylinders 9.
[0017] As also illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, the ball joint 7 is
shiftably fastened to the milk box 1 (in the embodiment shown in
horizontal direction). A further part of the robot arm 3 is
provided with a carrier element 10 for the teat cups 4. With the
aid of further control means, said carrier element 10 is movable
substantially in vertical direction relative to the straight part
of the robot arm 3 that is connected with the ball joint 7. In the
embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the further control means
comprise a parallelogram construction 11. Of course, the further
control means may also be designed differently, such as e.g. a
telescope construction, a cylinder construction or a hingeable
construction.
[0018] In the embodiment of FIG. 4 the ball joint 7 is again
shiftably fastened to the milk box 1. The robot arm 3 is now
connected with an intermediate element 12 which is itself connected
with the two control cylinders 9. The cylinders 9 are also
shiftably fastened to the milk box 1. The robot arm 3 can in
principle be moved in the same manner.
[0019] In the embodiment of FIG. 5 the ball joint 7 is again
shiftably fastened to the milk box 1. The robot arm 3 is now
vertically movable by means of a telescope construction and again
connected with an intermediate element 12 which is itself connected
with the two control cylinders 9. The cylinders 9 are also
shiftably fastened to the milk box 1. The robot arm 3 can in
principle again be moved in the same manner.
[0020] In the embodiment of FIGS. 6 to 8 the ball joint 7 is
fastened at a rather low level at the lateral side just outside the
milk box 1. The ball joint 7 is again shiftable in the longitudinal
direction of the milk box 1. The carrier element 10 with the teat
cups 4 is provided with an air-cushion construction 13 and is thus
suitable for being moved in a floating manner over the floor of the
milk box 1. With the aid of the cylinder 9 the robot arm 3 can be
pivoted to under the udder of the animal 5 to be milked and again
be pivoted away therefrom. As shown in FIG. 8, the carrier element
10 is further provided with a rod construction 14 with controllable
hinges by means of which the teat cups 4 can be moved in vertical
direction. Said robot arm construction is very compact.
[0021] FIGS. 9 and 10 show schematically a part of a further
construction (without ball joint) for automatically milking
animals. The construction is provided with a milk box 15 with a
milking robot 16 (known per se), which is provided with a
controllable robot arm 17 for connecting teat cups 18 to the teats
of a (non-shown) animal to be milked. The robot arm 17 is suspended
from a suspension element 20 that is movable along a rail
construction 19 which extends preferably in the longitudinal
direction of the milk box 15. The rail construction 19 is partially
pivotably connected with the milk box 15 and comprises a first
round rail 21, which is fixedly connected to the milk box 15, and a
second round rail 22 extending parallel to the first rail 21, said
second round rail 22 being pivotable by means of a control element
23 that is connected to the milk box 15 (see FIG. 10).
[0022] The construction is suitable for moving the teat cups 18 to
under the animal to be milked or away therefrom by means of the
pivoting movement of the rail construction 19. By means of (for
example) a parallelogram construction the teat cups 18 can be moved
in vertical direction. The pivotable rail construction 19 with the
double suspension element 20, bearing on two rails 21, 22, is very
robust.
[0023] FIG. 11 is a schematic view of a part of a further
construction (without ball joint) for automatically milking
animals. The construction is provided with a milk box 24 with a
milking robot 25 (known per se), which is provided with a
controllable robot arm 26 for connecting teat cups 27 to the teats
of a (non-shown) animal to be milked. The robot arm 26 is rotatably
suspended about a substantially vertical axis 28 and is suitable
for moving the teat cups 27 to under the animal to be milked or
away therefrom by means of the rotation about the substantially
vertical axis. For that purpose the lower part of the robot arm 26
is provided with a portion which extends substantially
horizontally, perpendicularly to the longitudinal direction of the
milk box 24 (i.e. perpendicularly to the plane of drawing of FIG.
11) and which can reach to under the udder of the animal to be
milked.
[0024] The rotation takes place by means of a control cylinder 29.
The teat cups 27 can be moved in the longitudinal direction of the
milk box 24 with the aid of (for example) a telescope construction
and in vertical direction with the aid of a further telescope
construction or for example a parallelogram construction. Said
robot arm construction is compact and occupies relatively few space
during the pivoting movement.
* * * * *